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Sunday, November 22, 2009

War Made Easy, the film

War Made Easy is a 73 minute documentary based on Norman Solomon's book of the same title. It explores the propaganda fed to the American people by the government and the media when the President decides to go to war.

There is a bi-partisan focus on the wars of Johnson, Nixon, Reagon, Clinton, and the two Bushes. Basically, the marketing of the wars have used pretty much the same propaganda techniques.

This is a film which should be part of the curriculum in every High School in the United States. Also, every citizen should see it.

It is excellent and I highly recommend it. It gets 5 out of 5 stars.

UUs are supposedly studying the proposal that Unitarian Universalism become a peace church. It is very difficult for me to see where war has any place in our postmodern world. Peacemaking is very consistent with our Unitarian Universalist principals.

War will not save us and this idea that people who serve in war are noble and furthering our salvation is a lie from the devil. It mystifies me how gullible people are to believe the deceit of Satan that wars will save us.

You're welcome David. Unfortunately it seems that the third and presumably concluding portion is not available.

Here is another (largely unrelated) documentary film that is available on YouTube that you may find worthy of sharing around a bit. I saw it last Wednesday at a meeting of an activist group in Ottawa and was told that it is available online. You may even want to do a screening of it at your U*U church. It might help attract some new prospects.

"Peacemaking is very consistent with our Unitarian Universalist principals."

Unfortunately it peacemaking is not very consistent with actual Unitarian*Universalist *practice*, at least insofar as my own experience of U*Uism. Obstinately refusing to enter into dialogue with someone you are in a state of conflict with is the antithesis of true peacemaking and I consdider it to be outrageously hypocritical of U*Us to expect people involved in real wars in which people are killed and maimed to engage in peacemaking and dialogue while stubbornly refusing to engage in dialogue with people who have not caused the slightest scratch or bruise to U*Us.

I agree with you. It seems to me that Restorative practices such as victim/offender reconcilation conferences or peacemaking circles would be ideal way to deal with these issues. Is there no one in the UUA familiar with these practices? Would they not help in your situation?

:It seems to me that Restorative practices such as victim/offender reconcilation conferences or peacemaking circles would be ideal way to deal with these issues.

Well either one would sure beat doing what the UUA is actually doing to deal with these issues which, at least in my case, is absolutely nothing at all. . .

:Is there no one in the UUA familiar with these practices?

I am not sure if there is anyone in the UUA administration in Boston who is familiar with those particular conflict resolution practices but there are certainly people who are familiar with a variety of other viable conflict resolution practices. Unfortunately however UUA administrators don't seem the least bit interested in actually putting those practices into actual practice if U*Us catch my drift. . . It's just another example of U*U religious leaders abjectly failing and even obstinately refusing to actually practice what they preach.

:Would they not help in your situation?

They certainly wouldn't hurt, and almost certainly would help, *if* these or other viable conflict resolution procedures were actually implemented. The key word here being *if*. . .